Inventory Search Strategy

Does anyone have a good strategy to look for 2022/23 Tundra inventory. I'm looking for Limited with the TRD Off Road package, and it doesnt look like there's many in that spec. And for those that are out there, they have already been allocated. I have two deposits down at dealerships, but who knows how long I'll get an allocation.

To follow up, are there certain dealerships that are better to put an allocation request at. I'm assuming larger dealerships will get more Tundras, so it'll be more likely they get an allocation in my desired spec

 

Well you can definitely say you are looking for a 23/24 unfortunately.

It seems to be 50% luck and 50% perseverance. You already have your name on a couple lists which is good.

Hopefully you have some luck soon. I have been waiting ten months and counting. My dealer is telling people it's a 1 to 2 year wait right now...

 

One thing I have figured out that has helped me is what’s been allocated and actually in transit.

If the last 4 of the vin has a letter it hasn’t been built yet and if it’s all numbers it’s already built and in transit.

 

I was on auto trader daily emailing any dealer that had one in the spec I wanted. Yes a lot were already sold/ordered for someone else but I got lucky found a dealer allocated 1 with the specs I wanted took 4 weeks from first contact

 

a combination of persistence and luck, when i was looking for mine i keep a spreadsheet of dealers that i call and which one to keep calling or avoid etc...then i was lucky enough that i called one that has an unsold allocation

 

To get truck faster, you got to hustle. You can't just put down a $500 deposit at your local dealer, sit on your ass and hope to get your truck at msrp lol. You will be waaay at back of the line after everyone else who's willing to pay above msrp.

There are some people out there who will pay 5-10k over msrp for a new Tundra now. And dealers are aggressively looking for those people who can pay above msrp.

Here's how I got my 1794 within a month, 3k over msrp.

1. Email every dealer within your state, speak with them when they call you back and ask to let you know when they'll get your desired truck. They may or may not.

There's also some luck involved here...

2. Sign up on website visualping.io pay for subscription and manually add all of the dealerships from your state to this site. This takes a little bit of understanding of how website filter works, but is relatively easy, ask younger folks to help you... It will check dealer sites daily or hourly for update for your particular truck configuration. Once dealer knows they got allocated, they will likely post it into their website, and you'll get an automated alert. Then you call dealer right away and try to pre purchase it...

Dealers will try to charge you higher amount up to 7-10k above msrp, depending how rare your trim is, when truck is 1-2 month away, and they will be more flexible when truck is on their lot and not yet sold (good luck with this). If you get lucky, someone may back out of the deal and you call at the right time, they may sell truck to you at 3k above msrp or so. If a truck is on dealers lot, they want to move it, and they will be more likely to negotiate with you. Of course with Tundra supply is so low that don't expect any miracles...

3. Get a friend in one of Toyota dealerships who has access to the Toyota allocation data. All of sales guys do. They can sort by exact spec of truck you want, and can see 1-2 months ahead as soon as any dealer in US gers allocation of your truck, and can point you to them.

I had a guy from local dealership try hard to help me because he didn't want me to buy another brand truck, even though he wouldn't make the sale.

4. Get a car broker, it's probably free for you, and they'll help you with #3 above. It won't hurt either way to have someone help you...

5. When money talks... Tundras appear!

Many many dealers I spoke with would move mountains, try to trade with other dealers to get you truck you want, but they all expect $7-10k over msrp (at least here in CA) and won't go down lower. They'll get you your truck very soon lol...


Oh yeah, if you want to pay msrp price then... It'll be a while - Just put yourself in salesman shoes - your goal is to make More money, and some individuals are really desperate, or gave up, want to move on with their lives, or really need a truck asap. And they will pay a lot over msrp. So why would salesman sell to you at the msrp and leave money on the table? They won't.

 

I agree with 50% perseverance and 50% luck. I was in contact with every dealer in New England. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to happen without a deposit to get me in line on a waiting list. I chose the biggest dealer I could find that didn’t have markups and put down a refundable deposit. Was in my truck ~2.5 months later.

I started looking aggressively in late January 2022 (calling dealers every week), finally put a deposit down mid-July, and drove away with my truck Oct 5th.

A good dealer makes all the difference.

 

Join all of the different 2022 Tundra facebook groups. Post message ATTN: Dealers (list desired options) offer finders fee for successful deal ($300-1000). Post at least once a month to keep fresh in feed

Sales reps are in those groups and post frequently about new arrivals and when people back out. They will search the nation for you and then you can do legwork to contact dealers.

 

I think I used CarGurus.com to find what I wanted and I emailed them for the best price. I also look at the reviews...I don't mess with any dealers with bad reviews.

 

100% luck here. Found one in transit beginning of August (online, on Sunday). Called Monday and it was not allocated, $500 down. My sales guys was super surprised that it was not allocated when I called. Drove the truck off the lot September 6th. MSRP.